1. You can go to My Account->Edit Profile and remove all data except the account name and an email address. Create a throwaway email address and change the account email to that throwaway address. This only leaves the username behind.

You can also hide your Gravatar profile from external access. Visit your profile page (click your name in the top navigation of the website), then click the "Hide My Profile" link in the bottom, right-hand corner.

I do not want to be rude. All of this is unacceptable to me. I do not wish to be a part of wordpress.com. I believe wordpress should respect my rights of privacy just like so many others websites do. Is there even a reasonable reason to keep my account other than stating that wordpress is unable to?

You can remove all of your personal information and content from the site. That is acceptable to me.

The only thing that would be left are dead usernames and other non-identifying things. I assume they are left dead rather than letting you remove them so that your username and identity can not be taken by others.

The only thing that would be left are dead usernames and other non-identifying things. I assume they are left dead rather than letting you remove them so that your username and identity can not be taken by others.

I'm very very sorry. But this is still unacceptable to me. And it doesn't make sense why myspace, pandora, linkedin let me delete my account no questions asked today and wordpress will not. It doesn't matter to me if my account is left blank, with no information in it. It matters to me that I have an account that I can't delete. And so unless my account is deleted, I'm just going to have to make a wordpress blog titled, "wordpress refuses to let me delete my account". I wish there was an easier way.

If you actually read the Terms of Service of most websites that have user accounts, you'll probably find language that states you are only granted permission to use the account, but that the account itself remains the property of the website.

Sites that say they will delete accounts on your request, in fact only remove them from public view. The account is most likely not actually deleted from the servers.

You might consider going to the Ideas forum and requesting that policy change. Request, not demand.

I posted an idea there. Who knows if anything will happen. The only reason I started wordpress was cause a teacher made me for a project. I'm taking a database class at college and it's easy to delete an account. I still have had no explanation for why wordpress won't delete my account other than thats the rule. I'll have to assume its financial gain. No the only reason I have an account with wordpress is because they're making me keep it. So I'll have to state that in a blog here. Thanks to those who understand.

Thanks for the replys. I don't think this is totally a database issue. If wordpress wants to keep my information for the same reason others websites might keep it, I guess there's not a lot to do. I just wish they'd follow the same procedures as other sites to cancel an account. Why would a large company keep me in their database is the question? And why won't wordpress delete my account like most websites is my main question? Still I have no logical answers.

Anyways, this isn't my life, to dwell in forums. I've stated my point clearly. I've recorded my complaint. I don't know if you guys actually represent the company or not. I will say you've been quick to respond which is a plus for a company. Now lets see if this company puts it's customers up high. If you are an official representative of the company and can resolve this issue professionally and personally, or if things have changed, I guess you will always have my email and account to contact me. As for now, I'm ready to move on, and any posts after this I won't be notified of.

If wordpress wants to keep my information for the same reason others websites might keep it, I guess there's not a lot to do.

If you follow the instructions I posted above then there is no information that is being retained other than a throw-away email address.

If you do not follow the instructions that's your prerogative. However, if you do not remove the information and then falsely claim your information is being retained against your will then those with a functional IQ above 100 are unlikely to accept your claim as credible.

To anyone who might want to figure out a way to delete their account with wordpress, follow some of these guys suggestions, like delete all contact and name information, also from gravatar. But also provide a fake email address. Use something like mailinator.com. Then at least wordpress won't keep your email address, which is one of the last things they'll try to keep forever. Just choose to change your email address and use the fake service.

P.S. When you change your username Staff are still aware of what the original username is so now that you have posted that into 5 threads and created a new support thread as well as your Ideas Forum thread I thought you might like to know that.

here's a suggestion I'll make to delete your account. Let me first tell you that some of these so called forum leaders here can be pretty rude. But they'll tell you to delete all contact information and all blogs and everything from gravatar. Which you should do. But it still won't delete your username and email, which for some reason websites like to keep. What I did was change my username to something like "noaccount" and then I used a fake email website like mailinator.com. There's no signup for that. Follow mailinators instructions and give wordpress the fake email address. Or try looking up other temporary email websites. Best wishes! Maybe someday wordpress will do what most websites do, and let us delete our accounts through their same process. please share.

what is your problem lady!? who cares. let me post what i want, let me share some information that you didn't share. and get off your ego. i'll admit i was too forward by demanding, but you are acting really bizarre.

I would like to apologize for being demanding and for criticizing you. Can we please just let this tread and conversation pass. You were right about simply deleting your account information. I just wanted to add about the fake email and username. Thankyou, and if this is your job, I work retail and know how some customers just bug. Sorry I was one of them. Please forgive me. I personally didn't realize this was a forum. I thought it was more of a one on one help center. The comments caught me off guard and I forget how forums can get heated sometimes. And I can get caught up sometimes. I've learned that not all websites delete ALL information, and maybe wordpress is doing the courtesy of not pretending to delete it all. I've realized I should ask politely for now on, and figure things out nicely. I demanded at first because thats what I'm used to doing with subscriptions and the like. Sorry again to all here and who have read. Sorry if I was out of hand. And I hope we can all move on without any negative thoughts or emotions.